Removable trap-teeth.



F. DRAKE.

REMOVABLE TRAP TEETH.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 15, 1912.

1,052,326. Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

Suva wow Witwwno COLUMBIA PLANOGRAFH (20., WASHINGTO D. c,

TTNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK DRAKE, OF AL'I'AMONT, SOUTH DAKOTA.

REMOVABLE TRAP-TEETH.

Application filed March 15, 1912.

The present invention relates to remov able teeth for animal traps, andparticularly 1 consists of a device embodying teeth which may be appliedto those forms of animal.

the aws, but such structure forms no part traps not ordinarily pro-videdwith teeth.

The particular form of trap to which my invention is applied, consistsof two jaws,

provided with spring mechanism to press the jaws together, a support onwhich the jaws are mounted, and a pivoted pan arranged on the saidsupport, said pan being provided with an arm having a shoulder to engagea trigger which maintains the two jaws in a position some distance fro-meach other. Usually only the large size traps are provided withintegrally formed teeth, but in many instances these large size trapsare impracticable for catching certain animals, and it is necessary forthe trapper to hav recourse to the smaller size traps.

The invention accordingly consists of a structure which may be stampedout of a single piece of metal, and so formed as to have portions whichwill serve as teeth, a main body portion which will correspond incontour to the shape of one of the jaws of an animal trap such as abovedescribed, and portions which will be adapted to fasten the structure tothe jaw of the animal trap.

The device is so made as to be easily applied and removed from the jawof a trap when desired.

For a full understanding of the present invention, reference is to behad to the following description and the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a well known form of animal trap,shown provided with my improved detachable teeth; Fig. 2 is a plan Viewof a blank embodying all of the structural details of the presentinvention, before certain of the operative parts thereof have been bentinto position for use on a trap; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of thedetachable teeth showing the same bent into operative position, taken onthe line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Throughout the following detail descrip- Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Feb. 4:, 1913.

Serial No. 683,932.

tion and on the several figures of the drawings, similar parts arereferred to by like ref erence characters.

Referring now particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral 1indicates each of the two jaws of a well known form of animal trapillustrated in Fig. 1, each of the said jaws being pivotally mounted inthe arm- 2 and bearing 3, which latter are connected with the bed orsupport 4. The jaws co-act at their pivotal points with the usual formof spring arms adapted to close of the present invention. Fastened tothe bed or support 4 is an additional supporting member 5, preferablyextending at substantially right angles to the member 4, and providedwith the mechanism by which the jaws are held apart and the ordinarydevice for releasing the same. This latter mechanism consists of thebearing 6 in which is pivotally mounted an arm 7 connecting with theordinary pan or disk 8. The arm 7 is provided with a shoulder 9 which isadapted to engage a trigger 10, the latter being pivotally connected tothe upturned end 11 of the supporting member 5. It will be obvious thatas the trigger 10 is adjusted into position to engage the shoulder 9referred to, that the jaws 1 will be held apart, and any pressure by thefoot or other part of an animals body upon the disk or pan 8 will causea depression of the latter with the consequent disengagement of thetrigger 10, allowing the jaws 1 to be drawn to their closed position.The foregoing completes the description of the operative parts of anexample of a trap to which the specific de vice forming the presentinvention may be applied, and I will now proceed to describe suchspecific device.

The removable trap teeth forming the present invention are preferablystamped in one integral piece from a sheet of metal, and a blank adaptedfor the purposes of the present invention, having certain portionsadapted to be bent into operative position, is shown in Fig. 2. In thisfigure, 12 indicates the main body of the device all parts of which liein substantially the same plane, as shown, the same being formed in asomewhat curved shape so as to conform to the curvature of the ordinaryform of aw of an animal trap, and being especially curved at its endportions 13 and 18, which portions are adapted to engage the bends inone of the jaws of an animal trap which are usually situated near thepivotal portions of the jaws. The blank piece of metal is formed with aplurality of projecting teeth 14 which, when the device is to be appliedto the trap, will be bent upwardly so as to make an angle of about 120degrees with the plane of the body portion 12. lVith the teeth bent intothe position described they will be in a position, when the jaws towhich the teeth have been applied close, to enter to their fullest depththe flesh of an animal which has been trapped.

The blank is provided with extensions 15, which when the device is to beapplied to the jaws of the trap, may be bent vertically downwardly so asto securely hold the device upon the jaw and prevent any possibledislocation thereof by the efforts of the trapped animal. In order tosecure a better fastening of the trap teeth to the aw of the trap, theseextensions 15 are formed in pairs oppositely disposed to each other onboth sides of the body portion 12.

The blank may, in practice, be made of resilient steel, so that theextensions 15 will have a spring action with relation to the jaw onwhich the removable teeth are placed and securely clasp the same; or theblank may be made of soft steel so that the extensions 15 may be easilyturned up and down as they are taken off or placed on the jaws.The-extensions 15 should be formed of sufficient length'to extend somedistance below the lower side of the aw, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to becapable of manipulation with the fingers, and the lower ends of twooppositely disposed extensions will be bent inwardly toward each other,as is clearly shown in Fig. 3. Additional flanges or projections 16 areformed in the blank in order to more securely hold the trap teeth on thejaws of the trap, and special end projections 17 are formed at one endof the blank, these being adapted when bent down, to engage at the turnin the jaw in order to prevent lateral movement of the trap teeth on thejaws. The portions 13 and 13 taper to their ends, as is clearly shown inFig. 1, so as not to interfere with the proper closing of the jaws.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a device ofextremely simple construction and cheap to manufacture, which may beeasily applied to the jaws of an animal trap of the class illustrated,and

as easily removed therefrom. It must be distinctly understood that I amnot limited to the exact form of removable trap teeth shown, as such isonly one example of con struction of the same, as various modificationsmay be made in the position and proportions of the parts of the devicewithout departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any ofits advantages, so far as the same may come within the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In combination with an animal trap provided with a pair of coactingjaws, a teeth-carrying member detachably secured to one of the jaws,said member being formed from a single piece of metal and comprising amain body portion having curved end portions, and substantiallycorresponding in contour to one of the jaws of the trap, upwardlyextended teeth projecting from said body portion, projections adapted toengage the jaw to fasten said member on the same, and lateralprojections arranged on the edges of said curved end portions adapted toengage the jaw at a bend and prevent lateral movement of the said memberon the jaw.

2. As a new article of manufacture, removable trap teeth adapted to beapplied to the jaw of an animal trap, the same comprising a metallicbody portion, teeth integrally formed therewith and projecting from theedge of said body portion, integrally formed pairs of oppositelydisposed extensions projecting from the edge of said body portion andhaving portions thereof adapted to be forced in close proximity to eachother to hold said body portion on said aw, additional projec tionsdisposed between said pairs of extensions to assist in holding said bodyportion on said jaw, all parts of said body portion, being curved at itsextremity, and projections formed in one of said curved extremities toengage the jaw at a bend thereof in order to prevent lateraldisplacement of the body portion.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK DRAKE.

l/Vitnesses:

W. F. CARsTnNs, S. R. M. CLARK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

